The KiT FAQ
Q: What is KiT?
A: KiT stands for Kumite in Tennessee and is a tournament series that has been running as far back as 2001, where it originated in Knoxville, TN as a Tekken tournament. Many people have been involved with running the events in the past such as Charlie “CodEZ” Dycus and Joshua “Big Jio” Otis. Since our humble beginnings we have branched out into multiple games and now multiple days. You can take a trip down memory lane by looking at the results of our past tournaments linked on our main page.
Q: Who currently runs KiT?
A: KiT is currently run by Ian “Vandy” Davis and Beely “beereevit” Bounadera. Ian is a 10 year veteran of the fighting game community both as a competitor and tournament organizer. His main game is Tekken but he is an avid fan of all fighting games – having actively played and entered tournaments from Dead or Alive to Soul Calibur to Smash Bros. to Street Fighter. Ian has been involved with running nearly every KiT since he entered the Tennessee scene while a student at Vanderbilt University. Beely has been around the FGC for even longer and is one of the original founding members at our very first tournament. Like Ian, he loves and plays many fighting games and is dedicated to the success of KiT and the overall fighting game scene.
Q: How do I know KiT 14 will be a well-run tournament?
A: We have a lot of experience running events dating back over 10 years including major events with multiple games. We value time efficiency and promptness in our events and KiT is a TRENDSETTER in these areas. We are constantly thinking about how to improve player experience by making the event run as smoothly as possible. Since we are players ourselves, we know how frustrating it is to stand around not knowing when your game will start or why there are several empty stations with no tournament matches being played – this will not be the case at KiT. Because of this we are using pre-registration and a pool system to avoid that situation at all costs.
Q: I am more of a casual player. Why should I come to KiT 14?
A: The typical response on why you need to come to a tournament is you will never get better unless you come out and challenge yourself and play against good players with something on the line. While this is true, we want to go above that reasoning for KiT, and that is why we have rented our venue for an entire extra day on Friday. We will have official events that day but it will be a gaming party for everyone to play casually and also include some events that are free to enter but have a monetary prize to encourage playing to win but in a more casual setting. We will have artwork and sponsor tables showcasing and selling items. Throughout the weekend you will be able to watch and learn from the best players of your favorite game. It is of utmost importance to us that everyone who comes feels like it was worth the investment and the time, even for those who are only there to watch and socialize.
Q: I am a tournament veteran or hardcore player. Why should I come to KiT 14?
A: We are dedicated to making this tournament attractive to the very best players in each of our games. We have guaranteed minimum payouts for every game that will ensure you are playing for something worthwhile. We are also working hard on our scheduling to make sure you will be playing at your best. While Friday will have more of a laid back vibe, Saturday will be all business as we complete pools. Each game will receive stream time be it on Saturday or Sunday, so if you advance far enough you will get your time to shine and showcase your skills to everyone. We understand we do not know every community well enough to construct and seed a bracket so we have enlisted sub-directors for every game that the community knows and trusts. We are dedicated to and invested in every one of our games at KiT and will make sure to give them the respect they deserve.
Q: What is the reasoning behind the guaranteed payouts?
A: There are two reasons for guaranteed payouts. The first is to show that we are completely serious about our event and making it attractive. The second is to give protection to you the players that you will be playing for something worthwhile regardless of turnout. Please do not misinterpret that to think we are expecting a low turnout. We expect all of our games to do very well.
Also remember that the money we are guaranteeing for any game is the MINIMUM amount we will pay out. For instance, if 70% of the entry fees for a game exceeds the minimum first place prize (say the $700 for Street Fighter) then we will pay the higher amount. If 200 players enter Street Fighter the first place prize will be $1400.
Q: I would like to partner with KiT as a sponsor. How do I proceed?
A: Great, we are looking for like-minded sponsors who we can form a mutually beneficial relationship with. We believe we have a lot to offer in the way of publicity and advertisement at our event and on our streams. Send us an email at [email protected]
Q: I love what you guys are doing and what you are about. How can I help?
A: One thing you can do is pre-register early! Having a good idea of our turnout helps us immensely with logistics. We will be doing things to make it a good idea to pre register.
If you would like to help out with the setup of the event or help run a tournament pool, we would love to have you! But please do not do so unannounced. Contact us through [email protected] or post on our facebook page. If your favorite game is not a game in our main lineup and you would like to see it on Friday, send us a message telling us you are willing to run it.